Bedtime for Bonsai

I enjoy Elaine Fox a lot being a dog lover myself. It is a real good story I highly recommend.

Penelope Porter thinks she wants to get back together with her ex. It would be comfortable and this time, it might work. But when Penelope's puppy escapes and brings Dylan Mersey into her life, her feelings surprise her. She's not usually the kind of person to have an instant, white-hot attraction with someone, especially someone with a dark past, but something about Dylan speaks to her. Dylan is trying to make a fresh start in life. He's in a new town, with a new business and he wants to keep his life clean. But an old friend asks a favor of him, and he can't say no. He feels like he can't get away from his past, and when the beautiful and put together Penelope comes into his life, he can't help but think that nothing good can come of it. He wants her, but how can he even think of letting someone so innocent into his not-so-innocent life? Bedtime for Bonsai is a sweet story with just enough edge and sex to keep it from being sentimental. The characters are all well-drawn and are the kind of people you want to be friends with. Penelope's feelings about her ex and Dylan ring true. Dylan's past doesn't get whitewashed and his struggle to turn his life around is handled with honesty. There is a particularly well written dinner party scene told from both Pen's and Dylan's perspective that shows the differences in their backgrounds, while still showing how well they work together. A great book for any romance lover. Niki Lee Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Really enjoyable read about a woman who has given up on romance since her divorce. Penelope Porter decides to woo her ex-husband since she thinks that maybe her ex might not be so bad after all. Enter the ex-con next door in Dylan Mersey and all bets are off. Soon, Penelope's new puppy, Mr. Darcy a/k/a Bonsai, has introduced Penelope and Dylan since the puppy keeps running to Dylan's new pottery shop. Tons of fun ensues as Penelope tries to decide between her ex and the ex-con. Penelope's girlfriends provide many laughs, in particular, her girlfriend Georgia. A fun and humorous read!

Bonsai, a clever fuzzy faced critter, is the catalyst for a fun adventure with mystery, romance and a happy ending. The characters are so real that I was worrying about what they were doing when I took a break from reading. Elaine Fox has thoroughly entertained me again.

Warning - spoiler "Bedtime for Bonsai" by the great Elaine Fox is one of my personal must reads this year. I started reading her books at the beginning of the year and loved all of them. If you are new to books by Elaine Fox I would recommend to read "Guys & Dogs" and "Beware of Doug" before reading this one. "Bedtime for Bonsai" is about Penelope Carter, her new cute little dog Mr.Darcy (aka Bonsai) and a new citizen of town, Dylan Mersey. Dylan, an ex-con, opens a pottery across the street from Pen's store. He is selling his and his mothers pottery and just hopes for a chance to start fresh and to live his life the way he wants to. He is a laid back, casual kind of guy who's enjoying a very simple life. Penelope in contrast is always perfectly made up, very organized and loves to entertain and visit the opera. At the beginning of the book Penelope is thinking about going back to her cheating ex-husband Glenn (OMG, nooooo) because she longs for a family and especially children and thinks that Glenn is worth a second chance (absolutly not). But after meeting Dylan they both feel a strong attraction for each other and even though Pen is told that Dylan was in prison and Dylan feels that Pen is just too perfect for him they still develop feelings for one another. They even spend a beautiful night with each other but Dylan's past threatens to destroy their relationship. Because when Dylan is contacted by an old "friend" and forced to help him with some shady deal he decides to break up with Pen to make sure that she stays safe. He also feels that they are too different to make a relationship work. But when Pen finds some stolen jewelery and the bad guys are at Dylan's to get them back it turns out that not everything is the way it seems. For the first time Pen gets a clear glimpse at Dylan's past and that leaves her feeling very uncertain, because she finally understands how different his life is compared to hers. She also begins to realize that maybe she is the one that has to move on from being a pampered and protected woman to one who can stand up for herself and her man. To make it short I really love this book. Penelope and Dylan are a great pair, like all heroines and heros that Elaine Fox creates they are real persons with flaws and that really makes them likeable. The way their relationship develops is really sweet and shows that not only your past matters but also how you act in the present. The rest of the characters are also great, you met Megan & Sutter and Lily & Brady again and it's so nice to see how their relationships develop. One of the biggest suprises and delights of the books is Georgia who finally finds a guy worthy of her. And of course I like the dog of the book, Mr.Darcy (who only reacts to Bonsai). He is a real cutie that does his best to make sure that Dylan and Pen stay in contact. If you are looking for a funny and sweet romance with characters that have flaws just like you and me you will love this book